The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-07-29
We Are Right.

Sitting III company with several distln-
! guished men the other evening, the ones
| ton OF temperance ca me up and vas freely
| discussed. Said an eminent gentleman
prominent in New York city. Il have two
sons. and l would not consent to have
them educated, religiously or scientifically,
by any man who is not wholly and totally
opposed to the use Of alcoholic beverages:
and | say this not because | am a tetotaler,
for l am not. I occasionally drink beer and
wine; but | say it as / value the welfare
and safety of nv boys" A United States
Senator fully endorsed this as the right
ground TO take, though hc INDUCED him
self in the use Of wines. Indeed, Of the
eight distinguished men present, not one
| dissented or offered a modified opinion.
| Nor is this an unusual incident: for the
very men, as i rule, who deem it necessary
| to keep wines on their tables or to drink
socially at dinner parties, are very careful
to keep the cup from the lips of their child
rem. And they do this because they know
the danger that turks il the cup. Said
one of the gentlemen referred -, Il don't
stop to argue for or against a mans per
sonal right to drink, and l care not the
snap Of my finger whether Jesus made in
toxicating wine or not at the marriage
feast in Cana of Galilee; but l do see the
effects of social drinking; they are r%uinous:
and that is enough to write its death SEN
tence. 1t is not to me an abstract ques-
ton OF right and wrong, but a concrete
question Of awful consequences. Judged
by what it does it should not be tolerated
for a day.
These were men talking c~onidentially,
with all reserve thrown off, giving utter
ance to honest opinions, and w do not
feel at liberty to give their names; but
their names are familiar from one end OF
this land to the other, because they hold
high official positions to-day, and one, at
least, is frequently mentioned in connec-
ton with the nomination for the presiden-
cy. When such men condemn alcoholic
beverages on the basis on their effects upon
the welfare of individuals and Of society,
what ought ministers to do? II they pro
nounce our drinking customs sueh as
ought not to be tolerated for a day, what
attitude ought christian men to hold to-
ward them? Said one of these men: II
am not a ~tetotaler, but | have no hesitancy
in saying that the man who is not a teto-
taller is unfit to be a teacher and n guide
for a young man" Would that all the
teachers of the nation could nave heard
that man utter these words; for TO know
the man would add ten-fold weight to this
utterance. All of them agreed that this
question Of prohibition was to become q
leading factor in politics, and that the bal
lot box alone could settle it. This opinion
was fully concurred in by the Republican
United States Senator, though in some Of
his public speeches lie has argued differ
emily for the sake Of party.
The testimony we bring is valuable as
showing how rapidly and how thoroughly
the business Of cause is gaining feeeg-
~nization in the public mind. The people
are fast coming to a knowledge that we
are right, and that is the first great re-
quisite for their joining hands with us in
defense Of the right. The dawnine OF the
day of redemption has come. We only
need let patience possess our souls aud
continued effort employ our hands, for full
redemption is coming on apace.-Nen Re
public.